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The Little Thief (1988)

La petite voleuse (original title)
R | | Drama | September 1989 (USA)
The Little Thief Poster
In a small town in post-World-War-II France, an unhappy sixteen-year-old (Janine Castang) tries to escape her dreary situation by any means at her disposal. Three successive friends (Michel... See full summary »

Director:

Claude Miller

Writers:

François Truffaut (original scenario), Claude de Givray (original scenario) (as Claude De Givray) | 3 more credits »

Stars:

Charlotte Gainsbourg, Didier Bezace, Simon de La Brosse | See full cast & crew »
Reviews
3 wins & 3 nominations. See more awards »

Photos

See all 7 photos »
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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Charlotte Gainsbourg ... Janine Castang
Didier Bezace Didier Bezace ... Michel Davenne
Simon de La Brosse ... Raoul
Clotilde de Bayser Clotilde de Bayser ... Séverine Longuet
Raoul Billerey Raoul Billerey ... Rouleau
Chantal Banlier Chantal Banlier ... Léa
Nathalie Cardone Nathalie Cardone ... Mauricette
Renée Faure Renée Faure ... La Mère Busato
Catherine Arditi Catherine Arditi ... La directrice école
Gilbert Bahon Gilbert Bahon ... Le brigadier
Clothilde Baudon Clothilde Baudon ... Bonnin
Joëlle Bruyas Joëlle Bruyas ... Soeur Marie-Odile
Denise Chiabaut Denise Chiabaut ... Le doctresse
Philippe Deplanche Philippe Deplanche ... Jacques Longuet
Erick Deshors Erick Deshors ... Raymond
See full cast »
Edit

Storyline

In a small town in post-World-War-II France, an unhappy sixteen-year-old (Janine Castang) tries to escape her dreary situation by any means at her disposal. Three successive friends (Michel Davenne, a married lover; Raoul, a fellow thief; Mauricette Dargelos, a photographer and fellow prisoner) help her learn from her mistakes. Written by English Showalter <showalte@crab.rutgers.edu>

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

uncle niece relationship | escape | unfaithfulness | theft | teenage girl | See All (51) »

Taglines:

The Last Story from François Truffaut... See more »

Genres:

Drama

Certificate:

R | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

Add content advisory for parents »
Edit

Details

Country:

France

Language:

French

Release Date:

September 1989 (USA) See more »

Also Known As:

The Little Thief See more »

Filming Locations:

Barneville-Carteret, Manche, France See more »
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Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,055,416
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

Orly Films,Orly Films,Renn Productions See more »
Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

(cut)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

François Truffaut's scenario offered the leading character Janine Castang as a female counterpart to the character Antoine Doinel in The 400 Blows (1959). See more »

Connections

Referenced in Joey Breaker (1993) See more »

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User Reviews

 
More than a touch of Truffaut's charm.
16 October 2002 | by manxman-1 – See all my reviews

A nice little movie about Janine, a young girl, a compulsive thief, in post-war France, trying to put some kind of life together. Kicked out of her village for theft she goes to the big city where she takes employment as a maid and begins an affair with a married man. On meeting Raoul, a fellow thief, she embarks on a secondary love affair that ultimately leads to incarceration in reform school. Compelling performances by Charlotte Gainsbourg as Janine and the talented, sadly missed Simon de la Brosse as Raoul. This was Truffaut's last sortie into writing before his death and the charm is totally evident. A sentimental journey through a troubled young woman's life, this is a wonderfully detailed story that lingers.
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